Improvement in hydrants



2 Sheats-Sheet 1.

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HYDRANT.

Patented March 20,1877.

Jaz/6252012' MFEEPS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. 0,0.

ZSheetS-ShBetZ. J. RICHARDSON.

HYDRANT. No.188,6 76. Patented March 20,1877.

N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTDN- 0.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoEo JOHN RICHARDSON, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

IM PROVEM EN'T IN HVDRANTS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o.. 188,636, datedMarch 20, 1877; application tiled September 18, 1876.

To all whom it may condn.-

Be it known that I, JOHN RICHARDSON, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain Lmprovements inHydrants, ot' which the follwv` ing is a specication:

My invention consists in a novel construction and combination of thehydrant, the water-main, and a jacket surrounding the foot of thehydrant; in a novel manner of arranging and operating a wastefvalve, topermit the escape of the standing water when the hydrant is closed; in ahollow stem, through which steam may be delivered into the hydrant abovethe main valve; and in other details, as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my hydrant complete Fig. 2, avertical central section of the Same; Fig. 3, a vertical central sectionof the valve 5 Fig'. 4., a horizontal cross-section on the line x ofFig. 2 Fig. 5, a view illustrating the construction and manner ofuniting the hydrant, jacket, and main.

A represents the water-main, having its discharge end turned upward andflanged to receive the jacket B and hydrant G. The jacket is made of acylindrical form, and has its lower end enlarged or shouldered to litdown over and around the flanged mouth of the main, as shown in Figs.1., 2, and 5. The foot of the hydrant proper, C, is enlarged or anged,and seated in a step or recess made in the mouth of the main to receiveit, as shown in Fig. 2. Around its middle the hydrant is provided with aflange or cap, c, tting down over and around the upper end of the jacketB, serving both to close the same and to retain it in position. To theend of the main A there are rmly secured two or more vertical rods, D,extending up within the jacket B, through the hanged foot of -thehydrant G, and through the flange or cap c, and provided on their upperends with nuts d, as shown in Figs. l and 2, so that they serve to .holdthe hydrant and the jacket firmly to each other and to the main. Whenplacing the hydrant in position on the main, the rods D, passing throughits foot, as shown in Fig. 5, serve as guides, and carry the footdirectly and accurately into its seat in the mouth of the main, thuspermitting a ready removal and replacement of the hydrant withoutremoving the earth or the jacket to reach the main. Under ordinarycircumstances the rods D are considered sufcient to hold the partstogether; but, when desired, the jacket may be bolted directly to themain, and the cap or flange c of the hydrant bolted to the jacket. Inorder to render the joints water-tight, without the expense Of fittingthem closely, a packing of rubber, lead, or other material may beinserted in them before they are tightened up by drawing the partstogether. The packing also serves to prevent the parts from rusting fastto each other, and thus insures their ready separation when required.The hydrant is provided at its foot with a valveseat, E, and a taperingvalve, F, the latter attached to the lower end of a vertical stem orrod, G, the upper end of which is extended through the top of thehydrant, threaded, mounted in a bar, H, and provided with a handle, bywhich to turn it, as shown in Fig. 2. As the handle is turned, thethread, moving the stem up or down, opens or closes the valve. Thevalve-seat E may be made of rubber, and secured in place by clamping itsouter edge between the foot of the hydrant and the main, as shown inFig. 2; or a metal seat may be used with a rubber valve, such as shownin Fig. 3, consisting of a rubber body, held by two plates united by ascrew, so that they may be drawn together and the body thereby expanded,to compensate for wear and insure a tight joint. The valve-rod or stemG, which, as before stated, is made hollow Or tubular, has its upper endclosed by a screw-cap, g, and its lower end provided with holes h,opening into the hydrant-body above the valve, as clearly shown in Figs.2 and 3.

When the hydrant is in use, the cap prevents the escape of water throughthe rod or stem; but in the event of the valve being frozen fast whenclosed, the cap may be removed, and steam or hot water introducedthrough the rod into the valve-seat, directly upon the valve, which willbe quickly loosened and rendered operative thereby.

In order to permit the escape of the water standing in the hydrant whenthe valve is closed, I provide a pipe, I, communicating with theinterior ot' the hydrant above the valve, as shown in Fig. 2. Acheck-valve, I', is mounted in the pipe I, to prevent the escape ofwater when the main valve is open. The valve I' is attached to the lowerend of a vertical rod, L, which has its upper end provided with an eye,and mounted on a stud on tone end of a lever, K, which latter is mountedon the bar H, at the top of the hydrant, and acted upon by a spring, N,which tends to close the valve, as shown. The lever K is acted upon byone end of an elbow-lever, M, also mounted upon the bar H, and operatedby a collar, m, on the main-valve stem G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thelever and the collar being so arranged that, as the stem or rod G risesin closing the main valve, it moves the lever M, and, through theintermediate parts, opens the valve I', to permit the escape of thestanding water, and thus in the winter season prevent the danger of thehydrant being burst by the water freezing therein. In order that thevalve l may be thrown out of action, and permitted to remain shut duringthe summer season, and at other times when it may be desirable, theupper end of the valve-stem L is hinged or jointed to the body, so thatit can be detached from the operating-lever K.

In order to prevent the water from escaping into the jacket around thehydrant, the valve is inclosed, and its stem or rod passed out through astuing-box, as clearly represented in Fig. 2. For the purpose ofprotecting the stem or rod of the waste-valve, it is surrounded by atube, o, extending from the cap or cover of thejacket to the flange atthe top of the hydrant, as shown.

It is obvious that the rods D will serve their purpose as guides incases where the jacket is not used, and also that, instead of using thetwo levers K M, a single elbow-lever may be arranged to operate thewaste-valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith the hydrant (l, the

main A, provided with.the rods D, to guide the foot of the hydrant toits seat, as described and shown.

2. The combination of the main A, provided with rods D, the jacket B,and the hydrant G, provided with the iiange or cap c, as shown.

3. In combination with the hydrant O and jacket B, the waste-pipe I andvalve I', ar. ranged as shown, so as to prevent the escape of water intothe space between the jacket and the hydrant.

4. In combination with the hydrant C and jacket B, the waste-pipe I,passing down through the foot of the hydrant, within the jacket, asshown, allowing the jacket to be removed without disconnecting saidpipe, as described.

5. The combination of the valve rod or stem G, having collar m, elbowlever M, lever K, rod L, and valve I.

6. The hollow valve-rod G, provided with openings h above the valve F,as shown and described.

7. The valve-rod L, having its upper end hinged or jointed,substantially as shown.

JOHN RICHARDSON. Witnesses:

JOHN VINCENT, W. G. BERGEN.

